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Harry Reid Slams Tar Sands Pipeline ($$ Better Spent on Clean Energy)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is weighing in on Keystone XL, the controversial 1,700 mile pipeline that would bring carbon-intensive crude across the U.S. from Alberta’s tar sands to refineries in the Gulf Coast.

“The proponents of this pipeline would be wiser to invest instead in job-creating clean energy projects, like renewable power, energy efficiency or advanced vehicles and fuels that would employ thousands of people in the United States rather than increasing our dependency on unsustainable supplies of dirty and polluting oil that could easily be exported,” Reid wrote.

Reid has been a strong supporter of clean energy and has maintained that support during a time of severe Congressional backlash against government incentives for the sector. But this is the first time he has publicly given his opinions on the Keystone XL Pipeline — a project that has united environmental activists and split the Democratic party.

Some Congressional Democrats have remained silent on the issue, waiting for the State Department to make a decision. Others have thrown their support behind the pipeline, which they say will create jobs and boost tax revenues.

Meanwhile, the environmental community is putting heavy pressure on the Obama Administration to delay or abandon Keystone XL, calling it “game over for the climate.” They’re also highlighting the immense conflicts of interest within the State Department and the proposed builder, TransCanada — pointing out that the agencyoutsourced the environmental review of the project to a TransCanada contractor.

Many see this as the ultimate test of the Obama Administration’s commitment to combating climate change. Harry Reid, one of the most powerful Democrats in Washington, appears to see it that way too.

This post originally appeared on Climate Progress. It has been republished with permission.

About the Author

Stephen Lacey is an editor at Greentech Media. Formerly, he was a reporter/blogger for Climate Progress, where he wrote about clean energy policy, technologies, and finance. Before joining CP, he was an editor/producer with RenewableEnergyWorld.com. He received his B.A. in journalism from Franklin Pierce University.

It would be good to hear Harry weigh in on what happened to numerous Bureau of Land Management solar farm applications filed by Goldman Sachs to gum up the Nevada permit work. There are few solar PV farms in Nevada because of this. Harry’s domain has some of the most abundant sunshine in the US.

The BLM should set aside monies from leases of our public lands to develop consumer owned rooftop PV for low income, senior and the disabled. A portion of the developer profits should be directed similarly.

Anonymous

Harry Reid said: “The proponents of this pipeline would be wiser to invest instead in job-creating clean energy projects, like renewable power …”

Harry, this is a PRIVATELY-funded investment, so shut up.

Furthermore, this project DOES create jobs, something those of you in Washington know little about.

Obama has already shown us the folly of your “green economy” with his little $550 million Solyndra scam!

Anonymous

Hummm…. Did no one tell you that Solyndra was not a scam nor was it an Obama project?

The Solyndra loan guarantee was submitted and promoted by the Bush administration. It was approved by the DOE review committee which was established under President Bush. And I’m not blaming Bush either. Solyndra would have created a lot of good jobs and more manufacturing in the US had the price of solar panels not fallen more rapidly than anyone could have predicted.

Now the wisdom of building a pipeline across the US to bring some of the dirtiest oil ever to further pollute our country? Stupid.

BTW, no one told you that renewable energy is creating thousands and thousands of good jobs?

Wind Energy

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